Cycling UK Forum

Helicomatic freewheel block. I have a NOS one in the shed if you are interested.

Sounds like the quality of the alloy has been downgraded.

Is this the latest marketing ploy by manufacturers to reduce service life of the component so you have to buy the latest model?

Has anyone got a spare they can let Nick Tithcott have to have them copied. I'm not that fussed about having the DA name on it but if the could be produced at affordable cost it would be nice to have one on the bike.

I agree with the comments about the moves to ditch the 'winged wheel'. I think this is a big mistake.

Dave

I was thinking along the same lines. I think bead blasting with a plastic abrasive may be the best option as it is a slower process but should polish the tubes more than a coarse abrasive would. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience of stripping a valuable vintage frame that had been polyester powder coated.

Easy to put on but the devil to get off!

Does anyone have any experience of getting polyester powder coating removed from a lightweight steel lugged frame without doing any damage?

I have a vintage 1940s Reynolds 531 frame which the previous owner had powder coated. Whilst the finish may be durable, the frame needed the attention of a framebuilder before powder coating, which was not done by the previous owner. The frame appears to have been blasted with a very coarse abrasive which left a very rough surface on the bare steel of the steerer tube.

Any of the methods I have researched for removal seem to employ abrasive, chemicals and heat or both, which is not good for Reynolds 531 tubing, as the frames had to be low temperature brazed when made. Excessive heat will damage 531 tubing and make it much more prone to fail. Of the abrasive methods listed plastic beads seems the least harmful but takes much longer. My inclination would be plastic abrasive to remove the powder coating but would welcome other peoples experience of powder coating removal.

Reference your Dawes. I have several old ones. The 1949 frame number begins with letters KS. The 1957 Dawes frame number begins with letters ES. I'm not sure when the change to single letter was made or whether it was used on a specific model. What I do know is that the pattern of head badge, colour of the enamel in the badge and lug patterns can be used to identify models.

You need to clean the paint off carefully from the head badge and give a description of the lugs. Are they cut and filed or clean pointed lugs like Prugnat? Another possible pointer may be to remove the headset and check the steerer tube to see if it is stamped with either Reynolds or the 'A&P lozenge' for Accles and Pollock tubing. If it is A&P the frame is very probably pre 1960.

Don't be put off by the fact your frame is a Dawes. They ride a hell of a lot better than a lot of the fare from custom frame builders of the period. I've had an opportunity to compare quite a number of classic lightweights and the original Dawes is a much underrated marque. Means you get a very nice bike for a lot less money!

I have just had a circa 1993 Dawes Super galaxy frame repainted. Couldn't find a frame number on it either. There was a 3 digit number stamped on the steerer tube. I have a 1949 Dawes and a 1957 Dawes Double Blue and both frames are numbered.

Try Mercian Cycles or Bob Jackson Cycles. They both refinish and repair frames.

I have built up two bikes with the Stronglight Impact chainset. I had a problem getting modern front mechs to work with the chainset. I reverted on an old Shimano 300EX front mech which worked fine and after checking with Spa Cycles used a Shimano Sora triple again without any problem on the second machine.

I hadn't tried any Campag mechs so can't comment there but Shimano Tiagra and 105 wouldn't work properly.

I hear BA have a great reputation for losing luggage and knackering bikes. I know someone who had a titanium frame wrecked by BA. Mind you this was before the introduction of the size restriction.

Why not cycle there?

Re your Hercules. This is a Raleigh one and the headset and bottom bracket may well be Raleigh threads, so dismantle carefully and if bearing cups are sound reuse them as they are getting harder to come by.

Tube Investments bought out the Birmingham Cycle combine BSA, Hercules, Sun in the late 1950s and TI bought Raleigh around 1960 and merged the cycle manufacturing business. TI also owned both Accles & Pollock as well as Reynolds by this stage as well. Triumph and Rudge had already been swallowed up by Raleigh earlier and all the absorbed brands were used to market cheaper ranges of bikes.

The original Hercules had a good reputation as a value for money bicycle offering a good reliable machine for less than the cost of an equivalent Raleigh.

Reynolds missed the boat with 531. Accles and Pollock tubing was air hardening long before Reynolds got round to it and in the opinion of many rode better than 531. A&P stopped making cycle frame tubing in the late 1950's.

Sun was a Birmingham company owned by the Parkes family. They started out making bicycle components before becoming involved with making complete machines.. The old factory was in Aston. Sun made roadster bikes but also introduced one of the first clubman lightweights with the Sun Wasp in 1929. This remained in production in up until the company was acquired by Tube Investments and merged with Raleigh around 1960. Other lightweights offered were the Sun Wasp tandem (also available in lady back format), Sun Manx TT and Manxman. The Parkes family also produced quality lightweights under the
F C Parkes brand. This was not sold by the family and production ceased around 1963 when Raleigh closed the Birmingham factories

Carpenter transfers are also available from Nick Tithcott at Lloyds Cycles, Penrith. F H Carpenter's son was Harry Carpenter, boxing commentator with the BBC

Wasn't Harry Rensch of German extraction. Don't know about him being Parisian. Certainly marketed Paris frames after the war.